Vanderbilt Football Player Switched From Offense To Defense Because Of A Rack Of Ribs… Literally

Eric Italiano

(Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

Adam Butler is my kind of guy. He’s a man of principle and he’s a man of barbecue. And he’s SO much about both of these things that it actually altered his future.

Speaking with the media on Tuesday, Butler, a highly-recruited high school offensive lineman, recounted a story about a rib-eating contest prior to the 2012 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. Butler was finishing his freshman season as a backup at center and guard when the team entered a wing eating contest against North Carolina State.

“For some reason, the judge voted that we lost the rib-eating contest, and I stood up and argued with the judge,” Butler said. “(The judges) were counting the bones. But (North Carolina State players) had ribs on their plate that didn’t have a bone in it, which means they just took the bones out of the ribs and threw them in the tub.”

That caught the attention of then-defensive coordinator Bob Shoop, who liked what he saw out of the young freshman.

“I fought against it (in the rib-eating loss),” Butler said. “Coach Shoop loved that, and he wanted to add that kind of attitude to his defense — or at least that’s what he told me.”

Love it. His will to win a f*cking rib-eating contest got him the attention of the coaches.